Have You Ever Been Lost?
Dad turned the van into the driveway, left the engine running and opened the doors. Five busy boys tumbled out into the night and ran to the house. Mom gathered up baby Ruth, the diaper bag and a few other packages and followed the boys. Neither Mom nor Dad noticed that three-year-old Luke had fallen asleep in the back of the van and was still sleeping there. Dad started back to the mall to lock it up and to do a little cleaning inside.
As long as the engine was running Luke continued to sleep, but shortly after Dad had parked and left the van he woke up. Realizing he was alone, Luke climbed out of the van and ran to the mall. But the door was locked.
The door to heaven is still not only unlocked, but open. Don’t miss your opportunity to come to the Lord Jesus. He loves you and is waiting with open arms to receive you. “Now is the accepted time... now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor. 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Frightened, Luke began screaming and banging on the door with his little fists, but his daddy was far down the hall and couldn’t hear him. At home, his mommy saw that he wasn’t with the other children and tried to call the mall, but Dad didn’t hear the telephone either.
How wonderful that our heavenly Father ALWAYS hears us when we cry to Him. And it doesn’t matter if we are a little person or a big person. He says, “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isa. 65:2424And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24). When Ishmael was a young boy dying of thirst in the wilderness, God heard his cry (Gen. 21:1717And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. (Genesis 21:17)). When Daniel asked Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah to pray with him for mercies of the God of heaven to understand the king’s secret, God heard and answered their prayers, so the king didn’t put them to death (Dan. 2). Josiah was only eight years old when he was crowned king in Jerusalem. He must have often prayed for the Lord’s help, because 2 Chronicles 34:22And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. (2 Chronicles 34:2) tells us that “he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.”
Now Luke’s mommy began to cry to the Lord Jesus for the safety of her little boy. He heard and answered her prayer.
Luke, fearing that his daddy would never hear him, began running down the busy street beside the mall. But God had His eye upon little Luke and sent a kind man to help him. The man didn’t know Luke and wondered what he should do to help this crying, lost little boy.
Remembering that the supermarket at the very end of the mall was open 24 hours a day, he took Luke there and asked the clerk at the service desk if she would make an announcement about him over the loud speaker.
If you are still lost in your sins, don’t you think it would be a good idea to make an “announcement” about it to the Lord Jesus? You could tell Him that you know you are a lost sinner, that you believe that He died on the cross for your sins, and that He will keep you in His loving arms until He takes you home to heaven. The Lord Jesus will forgive you, because He took the punishment so that sinners who believe on Him may go free. He had no sins of His own to be punished for. He rose from the dead and He will raise us up, too, if we believe in Him.
When the clerk made the announcement all the people near the service desk looked over to see the lost boy. Now God had already arranged that Luke’s uncle was in the store at that very moment, checking out his groceries, so he went over to see if he knew the little boy. When Luke saw his uncle he threw his arms around him, and in a few minutes a happy Luke was safely on his way back home.
David said in Psalms 86:77In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. (Psalm 86:7), “In the day of my trouble I will call upon Thee: for Thou wilt answer me.” Try it. The Lord Jesus will never turn you away.
ML-07/23/1989